


Good Guy

by feelingbright



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Detention, Fluff, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug, Malcolm Bright technically gets a hug, Teenager JT Tarmel, Teenager Malcolm Bright, mentions malcolm getting bullied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23077624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feelingbright/pseuds/feelingbright
Summary: JT gets detention for beating the shit out of a guy talking crap about Malcolm. Malcolm wants to know why.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & JT Tarmel
Comments: 1
Kudos: 52





	Good Guy

**Author's Note:**

> hey, i’m back!! i found an amazing prompt and i do not want it to go to waste lmao
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE:
> 
> \- jt and malcolm are in high school in this fic! i tried to make them in character as best i could but i gave up tbh chcjfjs  
> \- this isnt really a brimel fic,, bUt its still good so pls read,,

JT Tarmel is a good person. He gets amazing grades, is the star of the football team, basically your good old popular guy cliche.

Malcolm, not so much.

Well, he is a good guy. He’s one of the smartest kids of his grade and does like to volunteer, although anonymously. The haunted-looking eyes and messy hair doesn’t exactly help with his reputation.

The fact that he’s so terrible at making friends adds to his unpopularity. He only has a select amount of friends, most being teachers.

But when word gets around that  the  JT Tarmel gets detention because he punched someone for calling Malcolm Bright a ‘homeless piece of shit’ (“His words, not mine,” JT said), all hell breaks loose.

Yes, JT’s a good guy, but who would expect him to punch someone for insulting a guy he barely knows? And put his good rep on the line?  _ For Malcolm Bright? _

That’s exactly why Malcolm bursts into detention after school, looking for JT.

“What the f- hell, man?” JT glances at the teacher sleeping in his chair.

“Why?” Malcolm, out of breath, smooths his hair down and leans against the door, trying to act cool. He fails.

“Why what?” JT says, confusion hitting him like a freight train.

“Why’d you punch that guy?”

“Well, uh, I mean.. He called you- well-“

Malcolm lets out a puff of air, finally catching his breath. “I know what he called me. Believe me, that insult isn’t new.”

“Oh,” JT looks down and sighs. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. My biggest concern is: why? Why would you help me?” Malcolm almost seems desperate.

“What do you mean?” JT glances up at Malcolm in confusion.

Malcolm goes quiet for a second, looking to the side. His hands start to shake. Clapping his hands together, he sighs and looks back up to JT’s confused gaze.

“I mean.. you’re pretty much the most popular person at this school. What good does it do you to help me? I’m literally one of the most disliked people at this school.”

JT’s heart breaks a little.

“People are assholes. You shouldn’t be treated like that.”

“And yet...” Malcolm glances away again. “I assume you’ve heard about my father.”

“I- I’ve heard rumors.”

Malcolm lets out a bitter chuckle. “They’re probably true. What do people say?”

“That your dad.. that he’s a- a monster. That’s all I hear, I swear.”

Malcolm waves his hand dismissively and laughs. “No need to get all defensive. No matter what people say,  I’m  not the psychopath in the family.”

JT flinches a little. “I wasn’t-“

“You’ve heard of Martin Whitly, correct? The serial killer?” Malcolm interrupts, shoving his shaking hands in his pockets. “He killed around 23 women?”

“Y-yeah? But what’s he got to do with-“

“He’s my father,” Malcolm whispers, lowering his head in what seems like shame. “I changed my last name when I came here because I was so fucking  _ afraid _ that people would find out about him and just... accuse me of being what I’m not.

“And of course, people found out.” Malcolm looks up, a pained smile gracing his lips. “I’m surprised you didn’t know. You probably get all of the gossip.”

JT shakes his head, reeling from the amount of shock that just struck him. “No, no I... I don’t surround myself with a gossipy crowd.”

Malcolm sighs quietly and his smile looks a little less fake. “Ah. Lucky you.”

A silence falls between them. Malcolm starts to fidget. He takes his hands out of his pockets and points behind him. “You know what? This was a bad idea. I’m not the best at talking to people, as you can tell, and I definitely overstepped the sharing boundary and made everything super weird so I’m just gonna-“

“You know, I didn’t do it just because I felt bad, right?” Malcolm stops his rambling and turns to face JT, whose face is set in determination.

“Uh..” Malcolm’s throat goes dry. “Why... Why would you, then?”

“No one deserves to be treated that way, especially not you. You haven’t done anything wrong, whatsoever. Don’t take the burden of what your dad did onto you.”

Malcolm gives him a tiny smile. “Thanks. That- That means a lot.”

“See you around?”

“See you around.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed! this one was a teensy bit longer than i normally write, even though its not even at 1k words omg,,
> 
> sorry for any mistakes btw! im posting this from my phone and its currently 11pm so don’t judge me.
> 
> don’t forget to leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed 🥺🥺


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